Treat snoring and sleep apnoea at the dentist?
Huh? “I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with my teeth”, everyone would say. But you might be surprised how a small dental appliance can help with a problem you might have struggled with for years.
Snoring isn’t something to be over concerned about, normally, unless someone is disturbing your sleep. But not many people know that loud snoring can be a sign of sleep apnoea, a widely spread and possibly serious illness that stops and starts the breathing process while sleeping.
There are a few sign and symptoms that can be picked up such as:Because of the nature of this ailment – only appears during sleep – it can be difficult to identify whether someone suffers from it or not unless they are told by someone else or they record themselves during night time.
- Loud and chronic snoring
- Choking, snorting, or gasping during sleep
- Long pauses in breathing
- Daytime sleepiness, no matter how much time spent in bed
- Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat
- Morning headaches
- Restless or fitful sleep
- Insomnia or night time awakenings
- Going to the bathroom frequently during the night
- Waking up feeling out of breath
- Forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating
- Moodiness, irritability, or depression
The main sign that could raise concerns is the way one feels during the day. If it’s just snoring, the quality of sleep shouldn’t be affected that much but in the case apnoea most suffer from extreme fatigue and sleepiness during the day.
If concerns regarding the above are raised it’s advisable to either keep a sleep diary or record the sleep to understand if sleep apnoea might be the cause of daytime discomfort.
At Brightside Dental we are committed to continuous improvement and apart from providing a wide variety of general dental treatments and certain cosmetic dental treatments we have the possibility to provide our clients with a device that has been proven to improve quality of sleep for snoring or sleep apnoea sufferers.
Most dental devices are acrylic and fit inside the mouth, much like an athletic mouth guard. Others fit around the head and chin to adjust the position of the lower jaw. Two common oral devices are the mandibular repositioning device and the tongue retaining device. These devices open the airway by bringing the lower jaw or the tongue forward during sleep.
It is very important to have these fitted by a dentist who has been trained to treat sleep apnoea, and to see the dentist on a regular basis for any dental problems that may occur. Periodical check should be made in case the mouthpiece needs adjusted to fit better.
I you think our Sleepwell Anti Snoring Appliance can help with having a better quality sleep don’t hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
